Round Rock Edition | January 2022

BUSINESS FEATURE

BY BROOKE SJOBERG

The studio occupies a renovated horse stable.

STORYBOOK EXPERIENCES Each storybook experience will

take a child through their own story line, producing a storybook of the child’s photos. Regular-size and keepsake versions of the storybook are available to purchase. Some experiences are seasonal exclusives, such as “The Real Santa Claus Experience.”

Jennifer Gomez opened Once Upon a Storybook Studio, which contains custom sets for photography sessions, in 2019.

BROOKE SJOBERGCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Once UponA Storybook Studio Portrait shop brings magic to child photography in Round Rock T here is a unicorn in Central Texas, and it lives in Round Rock. Jennifer Gomez opened Once Upon a began her photography career capturing images of pets before transitioning to children and families. She recently added a revamped family portrai-

Storybook Studio in September 2019, oering por- trait sessions with a Christmas theme called “The Real Santa Claus Experience” as well as traditional family portraits. In mid-2020, Gomez added two new storybook experiences for child portraits: “The Magical Jungle Experience” and “The Magical Unicorn Experience.” “[The unicorn] was very, very popular right

ture option called the Regal Family Portrait to accompany her magical storybook experiences. She said her most popular oering, the expe- rience sessions, came from a place of wanting to give children a magical experience similar to major theme parks as well as to provide a portrait that might raise a child’s self-esteem and condence. “I’ll say that this is the most over-photographed, under-printed generation in history, and that we are

“The Real Santa Claus Experience”

away,” Gomez said. “We’ve really had to ne-tune the set. It’s come a long way.” Gomez makes all of her sets, and the studio itself is a renovated stable house. When children arrive, they are introduced to studio sta who take them to a room set aside for fairytale transformations. After a

taking risks and liberties by putting their portraits on our phones,” Gomez said. “So, while most of the images in their lives are digital and denitely susceptible to loss, we ensure that at least one portrait is going to be on their wall ... [as] a reminder of their childhood.” Gomez said future plans

“WE ARE PHOTOGRAPHING THEMWITH THATMAGICAL WONDER IN THEIR EYES, AND THEY GET TO LOOKBACK ON THAT FORGENERATIONS.” JENNIFER GOMEZ, OWNER

“The Magical Unicorn Experience”

OnceUponAStorybook Studio 1514 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock 512-456-3508 www.onceuponastorybookstudio.com Hours by appointment

child changes into their costume, they receive a pixie makeover that includes glitter and buttery hair clips. Gomez said the pampering makes children feel special. Once the fairy transformation is complete, the children meet Aurora the winged unicorn—also known as an alicorn. “They’re glowing,” Gomez said. “We are pho- tographing them with that magical wonder in their eyes, and [they] get to look back on that for generations.” Gomez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, said she

for the studio include the construction and expan- sion into a castle-like structure to allow for an even more immersive photography experience. Gomez said she is most proud of her chari- table work, and Once Upon a Storybook Studio has donated hundreds of experiences to local fundraisers. The donated photography experiences are bid on at charity events, and parents who win them bring their children in to the studio. “This way we’re able to help raise our commu- nity and be part of the community, supporting it through our business,” Gomez said.

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ROUND ROCK EDITION • JANUARY 2022